Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant development there has been a 14% dip in the number of COVID-19 patients in the past week in Kerala after a surge in cases expectedly caused by increased outing by public during the 10-day Onam festivities late last month.
The number of patients showed a 14% decrease compared to the previous week. The 'R' rate, which is the number of people that one infected person would pass on the virus to, too has decreased to 0.86 from 1.2.
Kerala is past the severe post-Onam surge in COVID-19 infections, the State government evaluated. The projection that the spread of the infection would wane after September 10 has been thus found accurate.
It has been now estimated that the daily number of fresh COVID-19 cases would dip below 10,000 and the Test Positivity Rate (TPR) would also come below 10% by this month-end.
Dr Sanjay Rai of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, predicted that Kerala would show a marked decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in two weeks.
Mortality rate still a concern
Meanwhile, the mortality rate has remained high in the State. The State Department of Health reported that those unvaccinated formed the majority of the fatalities.
Strict curbs in 2,507 wards
As many as 2,507 wards in 678 local self-government bodies are currently under strict COVID-19 restrictions. Curbs were clamped on these wards after the Weekly Infection Population Ratio (IPR) hovered above eight.
In Ernakulam, 418 wards in 90 local bodies are under strict restrictions. In Thrissur and Kozhikode, the WIPR has been over eight in 389 and 263 wards, respectively.
No more TPR-based curbs
Hereafter the State administration will be forming COVID-19 prevention strategies based on the WIPR instead of the TPR it has been following. TPR has been excluded from the daily COVID-19 bulletin also.
First dose administered to 80.17%
In Kerala the first dose of COVID-19 vaccination has been administered to 80.17% (2,30,09,295) of the eligible population, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
The second dose has been provided to 32.17% (92,31,936), he said, adding that the 3.22 crore doses of vaccine have been distributed so far in the State.
